Grate



C. J. T-RAUB.

GRATE. APPLICATION FILED APII. I. 1920.

l N l l a s'r FHQE.

GRATE.

Application led April 1,

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES J. TRAUB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grates, of which the following is a specification.

vMy invention relates to improvements in stoves or furnaces; and its objects are to provide for burning either solid or iiuid fuel in the same combustion space, to permit the change of fuels to be made very conveniently, and to burn either kind of fueleificiently, without hindrance due to the presence in the combustion chamber' of the unused means for burning the other fuel. Other objects will appear in the course of the ensuing description I attain these objects by the device illustrated, for example, in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grate for a cooking stove or range, in solid-fuelburning position, part o-f one-side of the stove being also shown'in connection with the holding means;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same grate in fluid-fuel-burning position;

'Fig 3 is a vertical front-to-rear sectio of the fire-chamber of a cooking-stove with the grate of Figs. 1 and 2 therein, shown by solid lines in fiuid-fuel-burning position, and by dotted lines in solid-fuel-burning positio-n'v Fig. 4 is a similar vertical cross-section of the same, parts being omitted for lack of space;

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view of a modified grate, suitable for a heating stove or furnace having a. round iirepot, and embodying my invention; and

F ig. 6 is a perspective view of this grate of Fig. 5 constructed for cooking or laundry stoves or the like, wherein the fire-pot is round. Y

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, the grate comprises amiddle transverse bar 1 with fingers 2 branching from opposite sides thereof at right angles thereto, and the bar 1 and its fingers 2 are of approximately rectangular Vcross-section of ample area, similar to well-known grates of this type. Une side 3 of the grid thus formed is substantially plane, as in any such grate. The opposite side has on it, near opposite ends of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patent-edilizia'. 2S, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 370,497.

the grid, in its middle, the bellies or bulbs 4, extended from the otherwise substantially plane surface of this opposite side and substantially coextensive with theparts of the bar l and lingersl 2 from which they extend. As shown, each belly or bulb'4 is of general approximately circular outline, with the omissions from complete circular shape incident to the spaces between the fingers 2; so that each belly or bulb 4 comprises the middle part 5 along the bar 1, and middle longer branches 6 at opposite sides along respective opposite fingers 2 and shorter branches 7 from opposite ends of the middle part 5 along the adjacent fingers. These bellies or bulbs 4 are thus shaped and located to lie approximately centrally under respective cooking-stove holes 8 (Fig. 4,) and are hollow throughout their middle parts 5 and branches 6 and 7, with all of their walls except those formed bythe grid bar 1 and fingers 2 of merely sufficient thickness to maintain their shape under the indirect heating influences vexisting under a solid-fuelburning grate, while the bar 1 and fingers 2, at these bellies or bulbs 4, are of substantially the same thickness as in other parts of the grid, to withstand the direct heating influences of the contacting burning solid fuel. The projected surfaces of these bellies or bulbs 4 are substantially flat, and have a proper number of perforations 9 distributed substantially uniformly throughout these surfaces.

At opposite ends of the grid are arms or trunnions'lO and 11, respectively, extending from the middles of the ends on the completely plane side of the grid, and inclining out away fro-m the respective ends slightly, and then curving outwardly into substantially straight bearing parts 12and 13, respectively; these parts 12 and 13 being in alinement on an axis substantially parallel with the center line of the grid. Each arm or trunnion 10 or 11 is hollow throughout its length along the bearing part 12 or 13 and the connecting inclined part, and the interior of each arm or trunnion communicates with the interior. of the respective belly or bulb 4 through a short junction part 14 or 15 running in along the middle of the grid from its respective end to the middle of the adjacent end of the respective bulb or belly 4.

All of the parts just described are preferably cast integral; the hollow interiors of the bellies 0r bulbs 4 and the connecting arms or trunnions being formed by cores in the mold, as in any hollow casting.

The bearing parts 12 and 13 have their outer ends internally threaded, like pipe couplings. A nipple 16 is screwed into the part 12, and receives on its outer end an ordinary gas or fluid-fuel mixer 17. The nipple 1S comprises a reduced part 19 to screw into the threaded end of the other part 13, at the opposite end of the grate, and has oppositely radially extended arms 2O and 21, and a reduced part 22 at its outer end, receiving another mixer 23 like the mixer 17. One arm 20 is merely a handle; and the opposite arm 21 has anvopening 24 through its outer end part, parallelwith the grate axis. This nipple13 and its arms 2O and 21 are preferably cast integral, with their openings cored. A knob 25, with a pin 26 projecting loosely through the opening 24, is fixed on the free end part of a flat spring 27 that has its opposite end part fixed to the arm 21 in close to the nipple 18, by a rivet 28, passed through the arm. The nipple 18 has its arms 20 and 21 close to its end part that is screwed into the bearing part 13.

A cooking-stove,such as is shown partly in Figs. 3 and 4, has suitable openings 29 made in its side plates 30, and alined openings 31 made in its linings 32 at the opposite ends of the fire-box; and small bores or `holes 33 and 34 are made in the exterior of the plate l30 at one side, properly spaced from the opening 29 to receive the pin 26 when the grate bearing-part 13 is mounted in the opening 29 and the arm 21 is swung to either one of two positions diametrically opposite each other. The ordinary grate ofthe stove is removed; these stoves usually having short grate lingers at front and rear, and

grate substantially even with the fingers 35 p and 3G when the parts 12 and 13 of the grate arms or trunnions are bearing in the openings 29 andthe grid is depending therefrom. as shown by the dotted linesv in Figs. 3 and 4. T he arms 2O and 21 and the threads of the nipple reduced part19 are preferably so related that the arms will stand substantially Yvertical when the grid is thus depending. with the holes and above and below the opening 29', and withthe arm 21V up, so that its spring-carried pin 26 enters the upper hole 34. constituting a detent to hold the grate in its lowered position.

Fluid-fuel-supply pipes 37, one of which,L

jat the left, is shown in Fig. 4, have valves 33 with nipples 39 loosely entering-the outer ends of themixers 17 and 23; this being a common and practicable relation of these parts, since an is admitted around inflow of fluid fuel in the mixers, and the fuel-supply through a half'revolution,'its side with the bellies or bulbs 4 is upward, and the perforated 'flat sides of' these vbellies or bulbs 4 are brought close to ,the stove-holes 8. llt will be understood that the parts are fso proportioned that these flat sides will be the. correct distance down from the holes 3 when the grate is thus swung upward, and the grid will be properly positioned VrelativeV to the grate-fingers 35 land 36 of the stove, when the-grate is swung downward.

Thus. in lowered position, with its plane side up. the grid may be a practically identical substitute forthe solid-'hiel-burning grate part that was removed from the stove; and when the grid is elevated and inverted as a consequence, it presents its perforated bellies or bulbs under Vthe'respective cookingstove holes 3, at the correct distance down therefrom to constitutel thoroughly practical fluid-fuel burners, wiich are supplied with fluid fuel and air Vthrough their respective pipes. valves and mixers. in practically identicallv the same way as Vany well known and vpracticable fluid-incl burner of the type required to be employed, whether for gas,

either naturalpor artificial,` or other fluidi fuel, such as liquid fuel. in which `case the proper appliances canbe as readily employed therewithas in any ordinary burner of that type. and anv slight'variations indesign of the grate bellies or bulbs may be'provided as are' required in burners Yof that type.

Such details of design. and the'necessary ap- Y pliances 'torrburninp' di lferent kinds of gas or liquid fuel' being well known to those skilled in the art. itis not deemed necessary to illustrate them in detail herein, or de.- scribe them further. In` the example herein. the grate is constructed for gaseous fuel. audits supply connections arranged accortiingl'v': and the application of its principle to other fuel-burning' will be understood.

ln anv'case, the maintenance of the practicable heavy design of the lgrate for burnin gfsolid fuels, such asVV coals of various kinds, or wood or other solid fuels, andthe conter-V minant relation of the fluid-fuel burning bellies or bulbs 4 to the required solid-fuel- Vburning grid elements, leaves the solid-fuel- Y burning grate-structure as lfully open for free Vdraft and escape'of ashes and the likeV as 'nr any practicable"solid-fuel-burni'ng grate. Then, by inversion, the fluid-fuelemitting perforations 9 are presented broadside toward the surfaces to be heated, as the stove-lids 8 or any vessel that may be placed directly in the stove-holes 8 with the lids removed; and by virture of the accompany the same way, and under the same favorableV conditions, as with an ordinary unconvertible grate or burner of the respective kind, without hindrance from the unused details in either instance. inverting the grate for fluid-fuel burning is accomplished by merely withdrawing the pin 26 from the upper hole 34 and swinging the grate around half way and allowing the pin 26 to enter the lower hole 33. The handle arm 2O is provided to permit both hands to be used in swinging the grate from its lower solid-fuelburning position in cases where the grid is somewhat firmly held by ashes and the like wedged between it and the stove parts, as the fixed fingers 35 and 36'of the stove; it not being necessary to carefully clean out the fire-box of the stove to make the change for burning fluid fuel. Likewise, in swinging the grate down from fluid-fuelburning position to burn solid fuel again, the handles constituted by the two opposite arms 2O and 2l will aord ample leverage for forcing the grid down into position against any ashes or other obstacles happening to lie in the grate space.

The integral bearing parts l2 and 13, eX- tended out for enough to receive their threaded connections well outside the linings of the stove, avoid warpingor fusing of the connections; which latter are provided, making the fuel-supply connections detachable, to facilitate insertion of the device into stoves already assembled and in use, and which should be as readily detachable when it is desired to'remove the grate from the stove after considerable use, for renewal, repairs, or other reasons. The grate with such detachable connections is thus adapted to have the connections removed for insertion or removal of the grate through the top of the stove, after which the connections are inserted and screwed in place, or unscrewed and withdrawn, from the respective sides of the stove, through the bearing openings; or, preferably, as here shown, the bearing parts, as their name implies, being extended outside the bearing openings and receiving the connections directly, outside the stove.

Those parts of the grate arms or trunnions l0 and 1l that must lie inside the stove linings, exposed to direct contact with the burning solid fuel, as at 40 and 4l in Fig. 4, are properly thickened, preferably by placing the cores eccentrically in the mold spaces, when the grate is cast. This is in accordance with the principle of my invention to make all parts of the grate exposed to live coals or fire bed amply heavy to resist warping, fusing and burning, to as full an extent as is provided for in anyV ordinary solid-fuel-burning grate; and at the same time to have the entire grate no heavier than is necessary, not only in the interest of economy of construction and ease of handling, but, in the fluid-fuel-burning parts, to have the walls that are perforated as thin they should be to constitute the perforations proper fluid-fuel-burner exits. It is by the arrangement, substantially as herein exemplified, that all of these provisions can be met to the full practicable degree.

In the modification of Fig. 5, and also in Fig. 6, the grate comprises a centralrorering 42, with its opening upright therethrough, of ample draft and ash-dropping capacity, with bars 43 radiating therefrom to a rim 44, leaving sector-shaped openings 45 between the bars 43, also amply spaced. The belly or bulb 4 is projected from the core-ring 42 and adjacent parts of the arms or bars 43, being substantially coextensive therewith, and is hollow, with the perforations 9 in its flat face. 'In Fig. 5, the arms or trunnions 10 and ll are simply straight and the former is solid, while the latter, 11, is hollow, communicating with the hollow interior of the belly or bulb 4', and has its outer endinternally threaded, at 46, It is thus adapted to receive a nipple for connection Vwitha mixer, and the nipple. may have suitable manipulating and detent means, like the nipple 18 of the preceding example. There being only one bell;v or bulb, or fluidfuel burner, this one connection is sufficient, and the opposite trunnion l0 may be solid, as just described. This example of Fig 5 is for stoves or furnaces intended only for heating the surrounding spaces. and not for cool-:ing or other` purposes requiring raising of the fluidfuelburning parts on inversion; hence the arms or trunnions 10 and 1l need not be curved or inclined as in the preceding example.

In 6, however, this grate, otherwise as shown in Fig. 5, and as just described, has its arms or trunnions l0 and 11 curved and inclined, with bearing parts l2 and i3 having the functions of the first described example, except that the former, l0, may be solid; the opposite one having theV outer end of its part 13 internally threaded, to receive a nipple such as the nipple 18, and the grate being installed and operated substantially as was described for the first example. Such a round grate, with provision for elevation and depression incident to inversion, is useful in stoves of the cooking-stove type which have round firepots, as for instance some kinds of laundry stoves. It will be understood that in either of the round-grate examples, in Fig. 5 or Fig. 6, the diiferent parts are made pro )ortionately heavy and light, to afford the est solidefuel and fluid-fuel burning properties, as was fully described for the iirst example.

Also, grates of other shapes, either with or without the plural Huid-fuel burner ai'- rangement, or with 'or without the provision for raising and lowering incident to inversion, may be provided according to my invention; and other variations in the details of construction may be made under certain conditions that may aiise. Accordingly, while certain constructional details are deemed preferable in connection with my invention, and I have shown and described these rather specilically in elucidating the construction and use of my invention, as is required, I do not wish to be understood as being limited to such precise showing and description of any of the given examples, but having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a grate, the combination of a grid comprising a plurality of elements, each of solid-fuel-heat resisting` depth and ash-discharging width, with spaces of ash-discharging width respectively between each two adjacent elements, said grid having its opposite faces substantially in parallel respective planes, a hollow part on one face of said grid, irojected outside the plane of.

said face and confined substantially between the .adjacent spaces of the grid, and having perforations leading out from its hollow interior substantially perpendicularly to said plane, meansV whereby sait grid is adapted to be raised with said hollow part facing upwardly or lowered with said hollow part facing downwardly and a fueleinlet for said hollow part.,

2. In a grate, a grid having a fluid-fuelburning part and an opposite solid-fuelburning face, means whereby said grid isv adapted to be raised with said fluid-fuelburning` part facing upwardljgror lowered with said Huid-fuel-burning part facing downwardly,pand a fuel-inlet for said fiuidfuelfburning part. v j

3, In a grate, a grid having a Huid-fuelburning part and an opposite solid-fuelburning face, supporting members on said grid, projected outside the plane of said opposite face of the grid, one of said members being afuelinlet to said iuid-fuel-burning part, and detent means on one of saidmembers to engage with .a stove or furnace part and hold said grid either in'a raised or a lowered position by` means of said members.

l. In a grate, a grid having iuid-fuelburning parts near opposite ends thereof and an opposite solid-fuel-burning face, supporting members on said grid, projected outside the plane of said opposite face of the grid, each one ofV said members beinga fuelinlet to a respective adjacent fiuid-fuel-burning part, and detent means on one of said 8O members to engage with a stove or furnace part and hold said grid either in a raised or a lowered position by means of said members.

5. In a grate, a grid having a fluid-fuelburning part and an opposite solid-fuelburning face, supporting means for said grid on which said grid is reversible, an larm on said supporting means, and a springpressed member on said arm, to engage with 9 0 either one of two parts of a stove or furnace, to hold said grid in either one of two positions.

' 6. In a grate, a grid having a f1uid-fuel burning part and an opposite; solid-fuels burning face, supporting means whereby said grid is adapted to be raised with saidV iiuid-fuel-burning part facing upwardly, or lowered with said fluidefuel-burning part facing downwardly, a fluid-fuel inlet for burning part and an opposite solid-fuelburning face, supporting members on said grid, projected outside the plane of said opposite face of said grid, one of said members being a fuel-inlet to said fluid-fuelburning pait and having its'outer end part 110 threaded, and a nipple screwed to said threadedY part for extension to suitable -fuelsupply means.

8. In a grate, ay grid having Va fluid-fuelburning part .and an opposite solid-fuelburning face, supporting members on said grid, projected outside the plane of said opposite faceof said grid, one of said members beingV a fuel-inlet to said fluid-fuelburning part vand having its outer end part 1 20 threaded, a nipple screwedto said threaded part for extensionV to suitable fuelsupply means, and meansoii saidnipple to engage Y with either one of two parts cfa stove or furnace, to hold said grid in either one of by i two position intoV which it maybe moved means of said supporting members.

9. A reversible grate comprising arjpliiffV rality of elements,l each of solid-fuel-heat resisting depth and ashdischarging width,

with spaces of ash-discharging width respectively between each two adjacent elements, said grate having` its opposite faces substantially in parallel respective planes, a hollow part on one face of said grate, projected outside the plane of said face and confined substantially between the adjacent spaces of the grate7 and having perfoilations leading out from its hollow interior substantially perpendiculai'ly to said plane, and means for admitting fuel to said hollow part.

10. Areversible grate comprising a grid element with a solid-fuelsupporting face and a uid-uel-conducting cavity at a soliduel-heat resisting depth below/said face, with perforations leading from said cavity out through the extreme opposite face of said element, means for admitting fluid fuel to said cavity` and means for raising said grate with said perforations upward, o1' lowering said grate with said solid-fuel-supporting face upward.

CHARLES J. TRAUB. 

